Devyani Khobragade row: John Kerry expresses 'regret' over handling of Indian diplomat's arrest

US diplomat called National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and said he "empathizes with the sensitivities we are hearing from India about the events.

WASHINGTON: The US today expressed regret over the arrest and strip-search of senior Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and said this "isolated" incident should not hurt "close and vital" bilateral ties.

Secretary of State John Kerry called up National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and expressed regret over the treatment meted out to Khobragade, the Consul General in New York, last week for alleged visa fraud, a State Department statement said, trying to quell the escalating diplomatic stand-off with India over the incident.

"In his conversation with National Security Advisor Menon, he expressed his regret, as well as his concern that we not allow this unfortunate public issue to hurt our close and vital relationship with India," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said in a statement after the telephonic conversation between Kerry and Menon.

Kerry, lending a personal touch, told Menon that "as a father of two daughters about the same age as Devyani Khobragade, the Secretary empathises with the sensitivities we are hearing from India about the events that unfolded after Ms. Khobragade's arrest".

"The Secretary understands very deeply the importance of enforcing our laws and protecting victims, and, like all officials in positions of responsibility inside the US government, expects that laws will be followed by everyone here in our country," the State Department said.

Kerry said it is "particularly important" that foreign diplomats serving in the United States are accorded respect and dignity "just as we expect our own diplomats should receive overseas", according to the statement.

Separately, the White House said "this isolated episode is not indicative of close and mutually respectful ties we share".

India has strongly contested the allegations and protested against the arrest, hand-cuffing and strip-search of Khobragade by American law enforcement authorities in New York last week that has created an outrage in India and drew reprisal actions from New Delhi.

"I want to say that the United States and India enjoy a broad and deep friendship, and this isolated episode is not indicative of the close and mutually respectful ties that we share," the White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters here.

"We understand that this is a sensitive issue for many in India, and we are looking into the intake procedures surrounding this arrest to ensure that all standard procedures were followed and that every opportunity for courtesy was extended," he said in response to a question.

He referred to the Justice Department all questions related to the arrest of 39-year-old Khobragade who was subject to treatments like strip search, cavity search as that of hard-core criminals and drug addicts.

Carney said US President Barack Obama has been briefed on the issue.

"He has been briefed on this issue, and I can tell you that the safety and security of our diplomats and consular officials in the field is a top priority," he said when asked about the retaliatory steps taken by the Indian government, including removing security barricades outside the US Embassy in New Delhi.

"We continue to work with India to ensure that all of our diplomats and consular officials are being afforded full rights and protections under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," he said.

Carney said the US has conveyed at high levels to the government of India "our expectation that India will continue to fulfil all of its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations".